Don't mention the war...

I was scrounging around the rock pools this afternoon. It was an exceptionally low tide and at lowest ebb I found this piece of strangely familiar ironmongery amongst the rocks.

When I was a nipper (and sweets were still being rationed) my Granpop used to take me over the moors at Fleming Field. He was an insurance man and a farm over that way was a customer of his. He showed me a place that I must never go on my own because there were German bombs there! Well that was a challenge to a small boy.

During WWll German planes would fly over Wearside and coastal County Durham and drop incendiary flares and bombs to light the way for the bombers looking to destroy, shipyards, railways and Tuthill Quarries, a Munitions Factory near Fleming Field. This field in County Durham farmland was full of them!

I collected quite a few over the years. I suspect they were duds or expired but when my hoard was found under an old settee in the garage I didn't half get into trouble. I was told never to bring anymore home and I'd be lucky to see double figures on my age if I continued being stupid!

This incendiary bomb will have most likely been dropped to illuminate the Munitions factory or Seaham harbour or maybe the nearby Sunderland shipyards. You can see that it did its job from the explosion crater in the casing. The top of the casing with the fins has rotted away. I had a look at it and threw it back into the water. If Granpop is watching, "I'm still doing what you told me".